Dead or Alive
by Jessy-Fran
Summary: A wild blonde outlaw rides into Suna one day. Little does Sasori know that his act of partly forced kindness towards the stranger will help send him off on the adventure he'd never even had nightmares about.
1. One

Sasori had had many outlaws come through the doors of his saloon but in his many years of serving behind his bar, he'd never come across one quite like _him._

His hair, a bright yellow colour which reminded Sasori of the desert flowers, was long and impractical for horse riding. Besides, in the hot temperatures that Suna often reached the length would make him over-heat. Heck, Sasori knew how long hair made one warm, himself having grow it out in his teen years before coming to his senses at nineteen and chopping short again.

His eyes were a dazzling blue, or rather eye since he hid one behind a barrier of blonde fringe. Whenever the boy would laugh the skin around his eyes would crinkle slightly, showing the true depths of his mirth. There was no one else in Suna with eyes like his, Sasori was sure of that.

The blonde was petite, the red-headed bar tender had come to notice, with lithe limbs and a certain grace that made his movements fluid. In fact if it was for his overly loud, brash and arrogant way of talking, Sasori may have even mistaken him for a woman at first glance. However, once he'd spoken, assuring everyone that he was indeed a man, the whores were onto him like flies on a dead horse left in the midday sun.

"But didn't that hurt ya?" One of the girls asked, elbowing another just to get closer to the exotic blonde.

"Nah, a thirty foot ravine is nothing to someone as travelled as me, yeah." The man was bathing in the attention and free drinks people were offering him. "But enough of my stories, I gotta go'un find a place to stay for the night." He got up and stretched his arms, giving the ladies surrounding him a tantalising view of well toned muscles through his shirt before picking up his hat from the table and turning on his heel to leave.

"Oh no! I'm sure Mister Akasuna has a spare room!" Sasori looked up from where he was polishing glasses to see one of the man's admirers linking arms with the stranger and leading him over to the bar.

"Temari, you know I don't just give my spare room away." Sasori chided, looking back down to the glass he was halfway through cleaning.

"I'm willin' to pay, yeah. Dependin' on it being a good price." The blonde man assured with a smirk.

Sasori took no notice of the smile and continued wiping the glass. "It's not a case of money. After last time, I don't like letting just anyone staying in my spare room."

"Well what happened last time that was so damn bad? You tell me and I won't do it."

"Things were broken, money stolen and the bed had to be replaced."

"What was wrong with the-"

"You don't want to know." Sasori finally looked up at the unwelcome guest, giving him a glare that told him to drop the topic, pronto.

The blonde huffed, sitting back on the bar stool Temari had dragged over for him. His brow was creased in thought, as though it were painful for him to think. A brief thought about 'dumb blondes' flickered through Sasori's mind before dismissing it.

"Right, so as long as I don't touch anything that ain't mine, take any money or 'bring anyone home', I can stay in your spare room, yeah?"

"For a price."

"Of course! I'm no freeloader, yeah!"

Sasori's eyes scanned over the table a blonde had been sitting at which was piled high with both his and the pack of swooning whore's drinks. None of which the man paid for himself.

"Of course." He said.

"Well if you don't mind, can you show me my room on your next break, yeah? I need to get cleaned up and rested." The stranger placed his hat back atop of his head, pushing the blonde bangs flush against his face.

"Hn," was the only answer he received. Before he was about to leave, the blue-eyed male slapped himself dramatically on the forehead.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" He stuck out his hand at an attempt of friendliness, "The name's Deidara, just Deidara."

Sasori regarded the man's gloved palm before taking it tentatively and replying with a brief, "Akasuna no Sasori."

Deidara grinned before tipping his hat lightly and winking. "It's been good doin' business with ya, Mister Akasuna." He said, wheeling around and out of the shutter doors to tend to his horse.

Sasori smirked slightly. Maybe this lad was going to help brighten up old, dusty Suna? The town certainly needed all the help it could get.

But if Sasori had known how much letting Deidara rent his room was going to change his life, maybe he would have kicked him onto the streets there and then…?

* * *

**A/N:** I got bored, started writing this, and thought you guys might want to read it. It got a general story planned in my head and I might continue it if there's enough interest, so every review counts!

Besides, there aren't enough 'Westerns' for the Akatsuki.


	2. Two

An hour later and Sasori had shown Deidara his new lodgings and told him to come back to the saloon later to settle payment. Deidara had simply grinned and tilted his hat with a 'Yes'sir!" before closing the door to his temporary room.

Now Sasori was idly wiping down the bar in light conversation with two of his regular customers.

"That boy's trouble." The gruff voice of Hiruko stated, downing his whisky steadily.

"Oh? And how would you know that?" Sandaime's dulcet tones came. The taller man brought one hand out of his poncho to sip his own drink lightly.

Hiruko frowned at his companion, having to look up from his hunched position sat at a table, to Sandaime stood at the bar.

"I can just tell. Didn't you see the way he revelled in telling those tales of escape and other dangerous deeds?" Hiruko shifted his gaze to Sasori before readjusting the scarf over his mouth. "You'd do well to throw the lad back out onto the streets whilst you've still got the chance."

Sasori chuckled lightly, something he did only in the company of such friends, "I think I lost that chance when I gave him the spare key."

The hunched man's eyes widened before narrowing to slits, "So be it on your head, Akasuna," he paused, taking another gulp of whisky, "but believe you me, that boy is going to be the death of you."

Sandaime rolled his eyes at his drinking partner's melodramatics.

"Always the pessimist, aren't you?" He said before paying Sasori for the drinks and settling down next to his old friend, starting a hushed conversation.

Sasori was putting the money away safely when a familiar blur of black hair barged through the shutter doors and made a beeline to the bar. The small figure could barely look over the bar top, never mind talk to Sasori eye-to-eye.

"And what can I do for you today, Sasuke?" The red head leaned over to see a smiling young boy with dark eyes.

"My brother needs a bottle of your finest vodka, Mister Sasori sir!" The young boy panted, having run all the way from the chemist his older brother owned up the road. Sasori frowned at the request and looked the boy dead in the eye, one eyebrow raised.

"Oh? What for, may I ask?"

Sasuke blushed furiously before meeting the man's icy gaze.

"That was one time! And I swore it wouldn't happen again!" The dark haired boy protested loudly. Sasori smirked at the reaction he gained.

"Hmm, I don't know whether I can trust you. I mean, who's to say you're not going to pour that vodka into the sheriff's water-trough?" He shook his head sadly, "That poor horse couldn't walk straight for days…"

"But this time I have a note from my brother!" Sasuke searched through his pockets wildly before pulling out a crumpled piece of paper and placing it on the bar. Sasori read it and smiled slightly.

"Okay Sasuke, I trust you. But remember, if we see any wobbly horses it'll be your door we'll be knocking on first." He said, handing over the bottle of vodka in exchange for a few crisp notes. Sasuke thanked him and ran out of the saloon. As he reached the doors he almost collided with another patron but managed to swerve out of the way just in time.

The near-miss watched the boy disappear down the road, shrugged lightly and turned back into the saloon. He wandered over to the bar.

"Oi, Mister! Ain't it illegal to sell alcohol to children, yeah?"

Sasori looked upwards and frowned. It was that blonde he was renting his spare room to. What was his name again? What was it that he said…? Oh yeah, 'Deidara, just Deidara.' Didn't he have a second name?

Or was he trying to hide something…?

"Hey, Sasori! You even listening to me, yeah?" Deidara waved a hand in front of the red-heads face in an attempt to gain the man's attention. Sasori blinked a few times and then batted the younger man's hand away. He noted with a vague interest that he was still wearing his fingerless riding gloves, despite having gotten changed but pushed the thought aside.

"Yeah, yeah brat." He looked up to see the blonde was grinning again. Seriously the guy must have had a problem, he never seemed to stop either grinning or smirking. It was as though he knew something Sasori didn't and the feeling it invoked was a little unsettling to say the least.

"Anyway I'm here to sort out payment with ya, just like you asked, yeah!" Deidara seated himself on a barstool and pulled the hat off his head. Sasori briefly wondered if the boy always wore it or if it was just for show whilst in a new town.

The older man sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose in thought. He couldn't be bothered arguing out a price with Deidara tonight. So instead the two came to an agreement. Deidara could stay for as long as he wanted and at the end would pay Sasori a price depending on various factors. Such as broken objects, as it turned out that somehow the blonde had already managed to break off the handle on one of the bath taps.

Sasori didn't press for details.

-

The sun soon began to fall beneath the horizon and with it went the warmth of the day. A cold night breeze blew through the town from the surrounding desert but the saloon kept warm with help from the busy staff, loud customers and a good helping of alcohol.

Again, Deidara attracted a lot of attention but this time from the males, most of whom had never seen anymore action then the occasional cat fight outside the local brothel. Deidara was in the middle of describing a bloody fight with a group of bandits when the enigmatic Itachi Uchiha walked in.

Deidara hardly missed a beat and after a momentary pause upon seeing the raven haired man, continued with his story as though nothing had happened.

Itachi made his way between the full tables, keeping an eye on Deidara all the while. After seating himself at 'his corner' a barmaid wandered over and asked what he wanted to order.

"That man, what is his name?" He asked, his voice only just loud enough to be heard over the din the men around the blonde were creating. The boy had obviously told a joke of some kind because his new-found friends were slapping him on the back heartily, ordering more drinks.

"Oh, his name's Deidara. Just rode into town this morning. Seems like quite a catch to me." The busty woman said flicking her hair slightly, as though it would somehow catch Deidara's attention. "So what can I getcha, Handsome?"

"Just tell Sasori 'the usual'," was Itachi's quick reply.

The barmaid nodded and went back to the bar to tell her boss.

After a while Sasori went to sit by the dark-eyed man who'd hadn't stopped watching Deidara since ordering his drink.

"Soda water and an ear to listen."

Itachi glanced towards Sasori and then to his drink, taking a large mouthful to quench his growing thirst. He'd moved to Suna with his little brother over a year ago and still couldn't get used to the dryness and heat of the place. Sometimes he wonders if it would have been a better choice to go to Kiri but then he remembers that he doesn't much like the sea.

"Sasuke told me you were teasing him before." He finally stated.

"Heh, that boy's fun to annoy. He's like the brother I'm glad I never had." Sasori sipped his own soda water and made a mental note to polish the tables later. "I assume the vodka got to you safely?"

"Yes, thank you for it too. I'd run out of antiseptic and your idiot cousin Kankuro had managed to saw across his hand." He said.

"You've had a busy day then, too?"

Itachi simply nodded. The elder Uchiha was not only the owner of the chemist store but also a cheaper option to the town doctor so it was more often then not that the man was on his feet all day.

A silence wormed its way between the two but it wasn't uncomfortable like some might think. Both understood the need for silence and time for thinking so neither bothered to break it for a while. That is, until Sasori noticed Itachi's keen eyes were still trained on Deidara.

"Interesting boy." He said, watching Itachi's reaction from over the rim of his glass. Anyone else would have believe Itachi unfazed by the sudden comment but Sasori saw the still start and minute widening of his eyes. However that was quickly amended when Itachi shifted his stare to Sasori.

"Really? I hadn't noticed." He replied nonchalantly.

"Sure Itachi and you haven't been staring at the guy for the past five minutes like a lost lover." Sasori snorted with a rare trace of amusement in his voice.

Itachi's cheeks flushed with a hint of colour but apart from that, nothing else on his face changed.

"I know him from somewhere. It just, I can't place where from." He closed his eyes and frowned, trying to drag up fuzzy images that he thought he could lock away for good.

"He seems like the kind of person whom you'd who if you'd met him before." Sasori said, stretching his arms out in front of him and yawning lightly. It had been a long day.

"He's different to how I knew him."

"So you remember him?"

"No, I just have a feeling he's changed."

"Well tell me when you've finally decided on where you've met this guy before. I've got a bar to run." And with those kind parting words, Sasori took up the two empty glasses and pushed his way through the crowd to behind the bar.

Itachi lent back in his chair and closed his eyes again. He tried to clear his mind of everything, the noise of the saloon, the rigid wooden chair he was sat on, the throbbing of his tired feet and focused only on that mysterious blonde boy sat across the room. It was a relaxation technique his mother had taught him as a child back in his former home of Konoha.

Slowly, a few memories resurfaced.

-

"_It's art you ignoramus, yeah!"_

"_Dei, just ignore him…"_

"_Hey 'Tachi?"_

"_Mm?"_

"…_Hey. Hey! …Hey!"_

-

"…Hey! You dead, yeah?"

A sharp poke to the shoulder startled Itachi awake. His eyes snapped open to find his self practically nose-to-nose with the very problem he'd been thinking about. Deidara wheeled backwards, having not expected the Uchiha to sit up suddenly and almost head-butt him.

"Excuse me but I was coming over to introduce myself." The blonde rubbed the back of his head and offered his un-gloved hand, palm down. "Name's Deidara, yeah."

Itachi went to shake the proffered hand, "Itachi Uch-" but before he could say anything further Deidara had grabbed hold of his hand a held it tightly.

"Itachi Uchiha. I know, yeah" The blonde grinned manically before leaning in close to the taller man's ear. An extra squeeze on his hand allowed Itachi to feel the distinct texture of scar tissue running across the palm.

The sudden realisation that came with the feeling hit him like a steam train.

"They're coming to find us, Uchiha. They want both you and me, yeah. Dead or alive."

* * *

**A/N: **So, next chapter… Not much interaction between Sasori and Deidara in this but that will all change soon enough. This was more to set the scene, introduce the last main character and get the ball rolling.

But aren't you all happy, ecstatic and over then moon that I updated quickly? And Itachi's in it too! Oh the joys! Updates will not always be so fast because I've started a new school year (and new school!) so I've got to concentrate on that!

Side pairings, anyone? Unrequited love (or lust)? Characters you just want to appear? Stick them all in a review and I'll consider them!


	3. Three

"_Itachi Uchiha. I know, yeah" The blonde grinned manically before leaning in close to the taller man's ear. An extra squeeze on his hand allowed Itachi to feel the distinct texture of scar tissue running across the palm._

_The sudden realisation that came with the feeling hit him like a steam train._

"_They're coming to find us, Uchiha. They want both you and me, yeah. Dead or alive."_

* * *

Itachi had left the saloon almost immediately after his brief encounter with Deidara, stopping only to wish Sasori a good night. His usually stoic demeanour seemed a tad flustered and he was obviously in a rush to get home. He mentioned something about having to check his brother was okay to Deidara before pushing through the crowded room to the exit.

Sasori was however, very confused with this behaviour, having not witnessed the earlier exchange between Deidara and Itachi. He seen Deidara approach his friend but then his attention was diverted to a small fight breaking out between a couple of drunks. By the time he'd kicked the two men out onto the street, Itachi was already leaving.

"Before you ask, it wasn't my fault, yeah."

Sasori turned to see his unwelcome guest stood next to him watching Itachi exiting the saloon. Once the raven haired man was out of sight, Deidara replaced the slight frown marring his features with what Sasori was coming to recognise as the man's trademark grin.

"I'm sure." The red head said. He turned to one of his paying customers and brought out a bottle of beer for the man. After receiving payment, Sasori turned to face Deidara with the intent of asking his new tenant a few questions.

"So, Deidara? Why are you here?"

"Because this bar is the only interesting place in Suna!"

"No. I mean, why are you in Suna Town in the first place?" Sasori frowned.

"Oh," Deidara shrugged, "Seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Fair enough," Sasori poured a glass of whiskey for someone and then asked, "So are you a natural blonde?"

A feral grin worked its way across Deidara's face. He leaned in closer to Sasori before whispering, "How would you like to find out?"

Sasori wheeled backwards, his face suddenly deciding to have a contest with his hair over how red it could get. If Deidara was judging he'd probably say the cheeks won by half a shade.

The blonde simply burst out laughing.

"Oh jeez, your face was a picture!" He wiped the tears away with the heel of his newly gloved hand.

Sasori merely grumbled, choosing to occupy himself with his customers rather then talk to Deidara.

"Aww, come on Mister Akasuna! Don't be like that!"

The rest of the night pasted in much the same way, Sasori asking varying questions to Deidara and the blonde thinking of witty ways of avoiding fully answering them.

Sasori couldn't help but wonder what the man was hiding.

-

It was the middle of the night when Deidara woke to hear the distinct sound of horse hooves outside his window. Slowly, so as not to disturb the curtain too much, he peeped through a crack in the drapes.

Outside, dismounting their horses were three of the men Deidara desperately didn't want to see. If the blonde tilted his head he could just see that there was nobody outside Itachi's house, which was one worry out of his mind.

He crept over to his bag and removed the well hidden sticks of dynamite. Yes, Deidara was one of those people who was crazy enough to carry explosives in the same bag he kept his spare pair of socks. He also put his pistol into his holster, keeping it well hidden.

There was a heavy knocking on the door and only then did Deidara remember that Sasori was also in the house.

"Yeah, yeah! I'mma coming." The red head's sleepy voice drifted to Deidara's room and he had to make a quick choice. Grab Sasori and risk getting shot when his former companions break through the door, or let him answer the door and make use of the extra time it gave him…?

Sasori reached the door still rubbing sleep out of his eyes. It wasn't often people would knock on in the middle of the night but still he manners pushed him to meet the person at the door and kindly tell them to shove off.

Upon opening the door Sasori found himself face to chest with a giant of a man. The dim moonlight of the night shone down on the stranger and gave the impression his skin was tinted blue but on closer inspection Sasori found the giant's complexion to be laced with tiny blue veins. A bizarre sight if ever he'd seen one.

"Sorry but it's-" but Sasori never finished his sentence.

The brute grabbed the shorter man, clamping a hand over his mouth and dragged him outside. Another man, with stringy black hair spoke up.

"Where's Tsuchi?" His rough voice sounded in the silence of the town like nails on a schoolroom chalkboard.

Sasori struggled against his hold but to no avail. Tsuchi? As in, the terrorist bomber responsible for blowing up the bank of Kiri and two assassination attempts on the Hokage of Konoha? Why the hell would he know the whereabouts of such a person! He didn't know what he looked like for starters, having never seen a wanted poster for the man.

"I have no idea what you're getting at." He spat, slumping in his captors hold.

Deidara had just finished with his plan and was checking on Sasori through the window. He watched the man argue with the two bandits, despite the obvious danger to his own life.

Wait… Two? Deidara checked again. Definitely two, so had he counted wrong the first time?

No, there were three horses. So where was the other guy?

Before Deidara even had time to think he arms were pinned behind his back and his head in a choke hold. He just about got a glimmer of lightly coloured hair before shadows covered the man's face and he was practically thrown down the stairs.

Deidara reached for his gun but a heavy, booted foot swiftly came down on his hand. He let out a cry at the unexpected pain. Strong arms pinned his hands behind his back whilst he was pulled up and out of the building to join the others in the street.

"Hey, is this the Deidara-bitch you wanted?" The silver haired man looked at him again, scrutinising every feature of his face. "I thought you said he was a guy!"

"Fuck off, yeah! I am a guy!" Deidara struggled against the strong hold the taller man had on his arms but failed to break free. Suddenly his face was turned towards the silver haired stranger's and Deidara found the man's face full of malice.

"Pretty little bone structure you got, Missy. It'd be a shame if I had to break parts of it."

"Hidan, stop threatening him. It's not his fault he looks like a cheap whore."

Deidara started at the familiar voice. Sneering, he turned he head as much as he could to glare at the man with greasy black hair and a thick bandanna tied around the lower half of his face. As icy blue eyes met piercing green it was obvious to all bystanders that there was no love lost between to two.

"Ah, Kakuzu. I wondered if you'd be here, yeah. They must be still paying you well then."

"Enough to keep me on their side." The age worn voice of Kakuzu replied.

It was rumoured that the man was over a hundred years old due to a curse an old gypsy woman put on him when he stole her goat to sell at the market. Others said that he was himself magic and could replace his old hearts with new ones. Both tales were cock and bull but Deidara often told himself that most rumours were rooted in some sort of truth and sometimes it made him wonder.

"What do you bastards want?" Sasori hissed. The others had seemingly forgotten about him for a while and all turned to look at him.

"Oh haven't you realised yet?" Kisame said, a grin that could rival a piranha's etched across his face, "Your little friend over there is 'the great Deidara Tsuchi'. Sarcasm dripped from the man's voice and a deep chuckle bubbled up from the pit of his stomach.

Sasori, on the other hand, visibly blanched. He was a wanted criminal? That's the big secret Deidara was keeping from him? No wonder he didn't give out his second name.

"How did you know I was here?" Deidara spat.

"We got a tip off…" The old man's unnerving green eyes shifted to look over the young blondes head. Twisting in Hidan's grip to follow Kakuzu's line of sight, the blonde laid eyes on two red irises that were practically glowing in the dim moonlight.

Itachi stepped out of the shadows of the saloon's awning. His face, as ever was emotionless, a direct contrast to Deidara's.

"You fucking snake in the grass!" The blonde struggled even harder against his captor in a wild attempt to strangle the dark haired man. Itachi merely watched detachedly.

"They threatened my little brother. I couldn't do any-"

"Yes you could!" Deidara slowly ceased his fighting and just stared at the ground. "You fucking weasel. I can't believe you sold me out…" His breaths were ragged now from his long struggle against the stronger Hidan. He looked up to Sasori with a deep regret in his eyes and smirked slightly, eyes glancing between the red-head and the saloon.

"Sorry Mister Akasuna, but I promise I'll help you build it again."

Sasori frowned, "Brat, what are you-" Sasori started but before he could finish he sentence pieces of the bar and parts of Sasori's house was flying around them in a million fragments of flame and fire. A piece of lead pipe flew towards Deidara and he just managed to dodge it. Unfortunately for Hidan, he wasn't so fast.

The blonde pulled out his pistol and quickly shot Kisame in the shoulder causing the brute to drop Sasori as he tried to staunch the bleeding wound. Not only was Deidara good with explosives but he was also damn near to deadly with a gun too. If he could see his target it was likely he'd hit it.

Sasori was still in shock. He couldn't process that his livelihood had just been blown up, his house decimated, been shot at and was now being dragged by the blonde brat who'd been the catalyst of it all. All in less then thirty seconds!

"Brat, I hope you realise that is going to cost you extra." Sasori snarled finally getting his head into gear and running along side Deidara. The blonde merely laughed.

After the explosion many of the inhabitants of Suna had ran out into the streets to witness the commotion first hand. It would surely be tomorrow's best gossip and nobody wanted to miss a piece. Because of the crowded streets, the pair of escapees had to take the back route to the horse that Deidara had tied up on the outskirts of the town, just in case such a problem arose. He didn't however, expect himself to be taking Sasori with him but it couldn't be helped.

Deidara climbed onto the horse gracefully swinging his leg over with one foot in the stirrups. He was about to turn and offer his hand to Sasori when he heard the clicking of a gun behind him. Twisting in the saddle whilst pulling out his own gun the trigger happy blonde found himself facing Itachi.

"Sasori, get on the damn horse." The blonde said, trying to stare down Itachi but not doing a very good job of it.

Sasori tried to copy Deidara's movements to sit behind the outlaw, but because of his lack of horse riding skills (he travelled by train mostly), somehow managed to kick the gun out of the blonde's hand as he swung his leg over.

"Oh shit!" was the dual outcry from both men on the horse both sets of eyes coming to fall on the gun that was pointed at Deidara's chest.

"Come quietly, Deidara and no one will get hurt." Stoic eyes didn't move as Itachi spoke.

"No, not until you get me back to Ame! Then what will you do, yeah?" The blue eyed boy's knuckles were turning white from his tight grip on the reins of the horse. "It'll be like last time only now you won't be able to get me out of there." Deidara hung his head forward so the fringe was covering his whole face and Sasori thought for a moment that he was crying until Deidara looked up, his eyes boring it Itachi's.

"I'll give you a chase, yeah. Let us go and then come after us in the morning. I know how you like to toy with your victims. All of you."

"What's the catch?" Sasori could see the glint of interest and amusement in the raven haired man's eyes.

"If we make it to Kumo City, we're free men." Deidara was practically praying Itachi would accept the terms.

"You are taking a huge risk, Deidara." Itachi said after thinking the proposition over for a while.

"Please Itachi. I can't just walk into Ame again. Just thinking of that place gives me chills."

Both Deidara and Sasori sat with baited breath. Itachi's gun was still trained on Deidara's chest and the horse that they were on was becoming restless.

Finally Itachi lowered his weapon.

"Go. We'll be after you at the break of dawn." The fire was burning more brightly then before and sent shadows dancing across Itachi's face. The sight unsettled Deidara.

"I give you a run for ya money, yeah."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Dei." The raven haired man replied with a smirk.

Deidara frowned at the old nickname but let it slide for once. Pulling the horse around and making sure Sasori was holding onto him tight, the blonde rode off into the chill of the desert night.

And Itachi watched, for the second time in his life, his former friend ride away until he was swallowed by the darkness.

* * *

**A/N:** Intense, yes? I loved this chapter. Like, seriously enjoyed writing it. We got a bit of action, some Sasori and Deidara friendship bonding and a few tiny hints at Deidara's connections with the others. And what did you think of Itachi? Is he good or bad? Well, you'll have to wait and see!

And by the way, in my mind Deidara is the shortest of the Akatsuki, along with being the youngest. Just so you understand that.


End file.
